The 2 position groups where the Seahawks are spending top-10 money

Safety is not on this list anymore.

The Seattle Seahawks had the most expensive safety group in the NFL last season, and were on course to lead the league by a mile in 2024 had they retained Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs this offseason. Rayshawn Jenkins and Julian Love will be decidedly cheaper as a starting safety pair.

There are two positions where Seattle is in the top-10 in cap hits for this season, and they probably aren’t too difficult to figure out.

Per OverTheCap, the Seahawks’ interior defensive line is the sixth-most expensive ($37,823,543) and will probably be fourth once Johnathan Hankins’ contract details are revealed. Dre’Mont Jones has the highest cap hit at over $18 million, followed by Leonard Williams at about $10 million after his three-year extension, then Jarran Reed at $6,370,000. In total, the Seahawks will likely enter the NFL Draft with roughly $40 million in cap money tied to its iDL.

Breakdown

Dre’Mont Jones – $18,176,666
Leonard Williams – $10,400,000
Jarran Reed – $6,370,000
Cameron Young – $1,096,877
Myles Adams – $985,000
LaTrell Bumphus – $795,000
Johnathan Hankins – TBD

I’m going to contend with OTC here because Mike Morris is listed as an edge rusher (which, admittedly, is what he was in college). With Seattle’s intentions to play him inside—this could change again depending on how his former college defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald feels about him—you could add another $875,519.

Reed is a free agent in 2025, but Jones and Williams combined currently have cap hits totaling over $50 million. In Jones’ case, his $16 million salary in 2025 isn’t guaranteed, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

Then there’s the second-most expensive wide receiver group for 2024, and the Seahawks’ most expensive position in terms of total cap charges. Seattle has $51,537,726 allocated to its receivers, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers in that department. It’s possible the Seahawks could be tops outright if the 49ers actually trade Brandon Aiyuk.

Breakdown

DK Metcalf – $24,500,000
Tyler Lockett – $18,555,000
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – $3,276,661
Dee Eskridge – $1,447,457
Dareke Young – $1,010,275
Jake Bobo – $918,333
Easop Winston – $915,000
Cody White – $915,000

Realistically, only Metcalf, Lockett, JSN, and Bobo are absolute locks for this season’s roster, but it’s still a costly group because of Metcalf’s big cap jump from $13.72 million to $24.5 million. By the time the 2025 offseason rolls around, both Metcalf and Lockett would be set for about $60 million combined in cap hits.

We shouldn’t really be looking at 2025 already, but it’s clear that big decisions will need to be made at iDL and WR for John Schneider by next offseason.